Earthquake of 5.3 magnitude shakes southwest Turkey’s Bodrum

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 shook the southwestern Turkish town of Bodrum on Tuesday at 10:42, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries. The quake struck some 15 kilometres (about 9 miles) southeast of the Aegean coastal town of Bodrum, the USGS said.

Bodrum is a popular resort and it throngs with Turks and foreigners on holidays during the summer months.

“We shook throughout the night, again very heavily this morning,” one witness told Reuters via telephone. “I put on my shoes and went into another room and it was shaking the entire time, it lasted a long time.”

The earthquake is the latest to rock the Aegean region this summer. Last month, a powerful quake killed two people on the Greek holiday island of Kos, sending tourists fleeing into the streets and causing disruption in Bodrum as well.

In June, a powerful 6.3 magnitude quake struck Turkey’s western coast and the Greek island of Lesbos, killing one person and rattling buildings from the Turkish province of Izmir to the Greek capital of Athens.